It’s pricey being a woman, clearly, with all of the aesthetic products the average woman is mandated to buy. However, the real crux of this article isn’t on make-up, but on a new health fad:

In a bid to encourage a healthy lifestyle and help combat the strains of using modern technology, Groupon has teamed up with face yoga expert Danielle Collins to create a unique and brand new fitness workout for the face.

You might wonder just how expensive this new fad is – fortunately, the originators of this piece can assure you there are ways to save money:

According to the survey by Groupon women spend on average £1,352 a year on looking after their appearance, equating to over £70,294 in their lifetime. The massive spend includes gym memberships, manicures and minor cosmetic procedures…

A Groupon spokesman said: “We’re always on the lookout for new trends and facial fitness is definitely something more people are becoming interested in.

“Our research shows that for those who already do yoga and see the benefits of it, they’re open to the idea of applying the same principles to exercise their face muscles. It’s quick, fun, and free – proving that keeping fit doesn’t have to break the bank.”

That’s Groupon, the discount website, who just might have discounts available for their new style of yoga, just maybe.

Clearly having precisely the right kind of interior decor is important – making a poor decision, like opting for wood panelling, could lumber you with a property you simply can’t sell. So who can we thank for this important advice?

According to Bathrooms.com’s survey of 2,000 Brits, wood panelling is the design trend most likely to knock value off a property.

More specifically, 46 per cent of those taking part said they wouldn’t buy a property if it still had old fashioned wood panelling.

You might think it strange that Bathrooms.com would complain about wood panelling, which you’re unlikely to have in your bathroom. But putting a bathroom-related issue at number one would be a little too on-the-nose – however, at number two:

Avocado bathroom suites come next. The study calculated that an outdated avocado suite knock almost £5,000 off a property’s value.

Bathrooms estimates that approximately 1.2 per cent of the population still have an avocado bathroom suite – almost 325,000 across the country.

So when you’re done dealing with your wood panelling – which you probably don’t actually have – you know what to work on next, and who to turn to for help.

People are terrible at judging how fit they are, preferring to look at themselves in the mirror (or, as in the case of the illustration in the article, to get their older sister to stand in her underwear on the other side of a hole in the wall, apparently). The finding that people can’t be trusted to keep care of themselves is useful, given that it comes from a private health firm:

The survey of 1,000 adults, commissioned by Bupa Health Clinics, found people in Bristol agonise for eight weeks before deciding to see a doctor by far the longest in the country.

Perhaps it’s time to stop agonising and to commit to seeing someone about that niggling health condition, right Bupa?

Philip Luce of Bupa said: “This research shows that despite the fantastic advances we’ve made in medicine Britons still take an age-old approach to their health.

“In fact, people are more likely to visit a doctor if they can see something unusual or different about their body than if they’ve been feeling unwell for a few days.

“I’d encourage people to check in on how they’re feeling more often, whether that’s a health check or a quick overview from day to day.”

And if you’re wondering where you can get one of those health checks done, I’m sure Bupa have some suggestions.

Straight out of the ‘men vs women’ PR playbook – in which you poll a load of people and then split the results down binary gender options, knowing full-well that one of those groups statistically has to outperform the other – we have the ‘research’ that shows that women take more sick days than men. According to the manufacturer of cleaning products:

Sickness statistics revealed by Dettol’s survey of 2,000 people, found 30 per cent admitted that they called in sick more than once this year alone due to a cold.

Of course, had the stats worked out as showing that men took slightly more sick days than women, Dettol could run a very similar article, gaining just as much column inches, regardless of the outcome of their survey.

With winter upon us, the Express took the time to highlight that our ailing and ageing homes are just one step away from a costly catastrophe as maintenance fees threaten to bite. The Express highlighted this on behalf of an insurance company:

Nearly half (48 per cent) of the 1,800 owners questioned by insurers LV= admit they do not have the knowledge or skills to do their own maintenance work around the house.

In fact, the Express highlighted this specifically on behalf of an insurance company who has launched a new ‘property MOT’ service, to help you identify what maintenance fees might be around the corner:

Selwyn Fernandes, of LV=, which has just launched a free online property MOT service, said: “Keeping up with home maintenance can be a tough and time-consuming job, so it’s understandable that many homeowners might ignore problems or put off important work.

“However, it’s important to keep on top of maintenance and ignoring problems in the home can lead to more serious issues developing and could jeopardise the validity of your home insurance.”

Drivers pay the price for pothole plague: Motorists now making a claim every 17 minutes for damage

Motorists whose cars are being damaged by potholes on Britain’s ‘crumbling third world roads’ are making a compensation claim to councils every 17 minutes, a damning new report reveals today.

But while the number of claims made has risen by nearly 9 per cent, the money that cash-strapped councils are paying out to hard-pressed motorists is actually falling, leaving drivers out of pocket, according to the respected RAC Foundation.

It says that last year drivers made at least 31,483 claims against councils across Britain for potentially ‘life-threatening’ vehicle damage – equivalent to one every 17 minutes.

A report on the crumbling state of British road infrastructure here, and the impact our broken roads has on the everyday driver. While the data may well be true, the source is hardly without vested interest:

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: ‘These figures are symptomatic of the inadequate funding available for local road maintenance.

‘Drivers worried about the cost of running a car scarcely know where to look. They must try to keep one eye on rising pump prices and another on the potholes that can add hundreds to their annual motoring bills by causing damage to tyres and wheels.

I’m sure the RAC have drivers’ best interests at heart in highlighting the damage that can be done by pot-holed roads, but they also won’t be too disappointed if the reminder prompts drivers to ensure they have breakdown cover, should the worst happen.